Demon Slayer - Hands of Steel
by anireohanto
Summary: A sweet young boy taking care of his mother with an unknown disease. This young boy and his mother survived and lived through together despite living in poverty. However, the mother already sensed that her life will end soon. With little time left of her life she decided to ask one last favor from her only child. May contain spoilers! ( Shinobu Kochou x OC )
1. Chapter One - The Blind Monk

It was during the break of dawn, there was once a small worn down hut on the base of a mountain surrounded by Wisteria trees. Not so far from the hut was a lake, a bubbling stream of water flowing from the mountain to the lake. On the edge of the lake was a boy with wavy hair black as coal and bright brown eyes that shined under the sun.

The boy was on all fours trying to catch a catfish. The fish was wriggling to escape for it's dear life but was losing more space as he made sure to corner it to the edge of the lake. As the wriggling became slower, he seize the opportunity and snatched the fish by its tail.

He stood tall and held the catfish as if it was a trophy he just won with a huge grin on his face. The fish was almost as long as his arm and was quite heavy too.

He then went to a fishing basket on a flat stone and placed the catch he got into it. _Well I better hurry, before okaa-san notices I am missing and gets worried where I went off to, _he imagined after realising the sun was already up. _Hopefully this should last us until tonight, _he thought while wiping off the sweat on his forehead with his sleeves. He then lifted the basket onto his back and carried it back to the hut.

The boy was now nearing the entrance of the hut. He peeked first just to make sure if his mother was still sleeping while with only his top half of his head exposed before entering. _It seems she is still asleep huh? well now is my chance, _he thought. He quickly but also taking his time tip toed every step into the house and placed the fish basket just on the corner of the hut beside the fireplace. He then sat with a cross-legged form in front of the fireplace.

The hut was quite small and had little place to move, it only had one rickety bed made out of bamboo which was where his mother was sleeping, a fireplace where they also did their cooking and a bamboo carpet where the boy slept just between the fireplace and his mother's bed. The hut was mostly made out of bamboo, since bamboo was very easy to find and grow. Despite all of this, they never seem to be bothered but were always cheerful as long they were surviving through life together.

A beautiful and soft voice spoke. "Good morning Hiroyuki-kun. You have been up early haven't you?". The boy while being surprised, turned his head behind him to look into the direction from where his mother was sleeping.

"Good morning okaa-san! I was outside by the river trying to catch a fish for today. I am sorry if I worried you." The boy now facing his mother while bowing down.

His mother was getting up to sit down on her bed while having a worried face. "My dear, it's dangerous to go outside during the dark. You may not know what's lurking out there."

"I won't do it again, truly!" he answered with a hint of sadness when he realised he made his mother worried.

She then put her palms of her hands onto each other and slightly tilting it to the side. "It's all fine Hiroyuki-kun, as long as you take care of yourself". She smiled with her pearly white teeth showing while her eyes slightly closed. "Your clothes are wet, you better get them change before you catch yourself a cold!".

The boy blushed while rubbing his forehead with his fingers "Uh yeah, I forgot about that." He then hurried to fetch the clothes outside while almost tripping over some wood near the fireplace which made his mother giggled.

Her right hand covering her mouth. "You're always clumsy Hiroyuki-kun." She chuckled quite a bit for sometime.

The boy now with fresh clothes, sat down near the fireplace while facing towards his mother. He noticed his mother is now sitting down with her back against the wall while closing her eyes. He then had a feeling that his mother was still feeling not too well.

Hiroyuki said with a tone of worriedness. "Okaa-san, you don't look too well. Is there anything I can help with?."

Hiroyuki's mother struggled to open her eyes only slightly and then looked at her child. "I am so sorry my dear for being so weak, It must have been so hard for you to see me like this everyday." She was feeling guilty she thought she was a burden to him. "We are too far away from the city to get help and it would be too dangerous for us to get there."

"It's all otou-san's fault and that woman, especially that woman! She stole otou-san from us!" Hiroyuki was furious and once again deeply wounded when the memories returned to him. "We won't be in this mess if it wasn't all because of that woman!" Hiroyuki was almost at the brink of tears. "Why did otou-san chose her and left us behind? Are we not good enough for him ?"

His mother with all her strength went to Hiroyuki and raised his chin while having that same beautiful smile from before. "Hiroyuki-kun, it's no use to blame the past on our misfortune. It's better to focus on what we have right now my dear. It might be not so much right now, but I am grateful to have this sweet little boy as my child and I would never trade it for anything" Hiroyuki's mother was patting his head to help him calm down. "You're good enough for me Hiroyuki-kun, please remember that"

Both mother and child embraced each other, both glad that they were still together despite their situation. Hiroyuki was crying even more than before. "There, there my dear. Let it all out and never be afraid to show your true feelings to people you care for". A couple of seconds had passed, Hiroyuki had already calmed down and both were still hugging each other. Both smiling happily and wanted to enjoy this moment a little longer. Hiroyuki wished this moment could last forever.

Almost two minutes later, His mother puts her hands on both of his shoulders to get his attention. "Hiroyuki-kun, I have one favor to ask you. Before this sickness gets the better of me I need you to promise this."

Tears started to well up once more in Hiroyuki's eyes. "But I don't want you to go okaa-san!"

Hiroyuki was interrupted with a slap on his left cheek which put him to shock. "Hiroyuki please, you have to be strong, I need you to keep smiling no matter what happens. I believe in you, because you're my strong little boy" his mother's voice was so soft and so much love put into it. "Can you please remember that my dear?"

Hiroyuki only managed to nod while wiping of his tears with his sleeve.

His mother acknowledged it and was a bit relieved. "Now for that favor I need you to..."

Hiroyuki interrupts his mother and said. "But okaa-san already asked me one." A smirk appeared on his face.

"Well, well. Aren't you the smarty pants here huh?" a vein popping out of his mother's forehead. "Not moment ago you were crying your heart out." His mother pinching both of his cheeks at the same time.

"Ouchhhh! It hurts! please I will listen this timeee okaa-san!" Hiroyuki was pleading while closing his eyes and holding his laugh.

Hiroyuki now giving eye contact and full attention to his mother. "Hiroyuki-kun, promise me that you will live a wonderful life with a loving girl when I am gone and also make sure that you will make her happy as how you made me happy, okay my dear?"

"I understand okaa-san." Hiroyuki nodded and then out of the blue a loud rumbling coming from his stomach which is hard not to notice.

His mother was surprised and placed her right hand over mouth while laughing. "Ara ara, looks like someone is hungry. Go on get some more firewood, I will light up the fireplace." Hiroyuki's face redden out of embarrassment and quickly stood up to head outside and chop some wood. Even from outside, he could still hear his mother's laugh which made him blush even more.

Some time had passed since Hiroyuki went outside to fetch some wood. It's now in the afternoon, sun was on its highest. Luckily for them, there were many trees giving plenty of shade to the hut. Hiroyuki was on his way back to the hut, with a bag of firewood on his back. While on his way, he was pondering about the favor of his mother.

"What girl would ever be with me in the place huh?" Eyebrows narrowed while stroking his chin. "Well I would need to see and wait it myself to find out" Hiroyuki shrugged as he enters the hut.

By the fireplace, his mother was kneeling in front of it while she was making sure the skewered catfish that is now hung up above the fireplace wont fall. "Ah that should do it." His mother still didn't notice of Hiroyuki's arrival.

"Konnichiwa okaa-san! I am back." smiling brightly at his mother while putting down the basket of firewood near the fireplace. He then sat down besides her and helped his mother to add the firewood into the fireplace.

His mother pats his back and looked at him. "That was quick Hiroyuki-kun! You're getting faster and stronger, aww my little boy is growing up into a man"

Hiroyuki smiled shyly while putting his head on his mother's right shoulder. "I am happy I was able to help okaa-san."

The sun was now setting, the petals of the Wisteria trees surrounding the hut started to become more brighter and it's reflection on the river made it much more beautiful. In the hut, the fireplace was the only source of light they had. Just beside the fireplace, Hiroyuki was just about to finish cleaning up after his meal.

While sitting down he also bowed ."Thank you for the delicious meal okaa-san!" He then picked up the plates and brought it to the waterfall by the lake to be washed. "I will be back soon!"

Hiroyuki's mother was preparing her bed for tonight. "Make sure you come back home early Hiroyuki-kun!"

Hiroyuki was now approaching the waterfall, he was only a few steps away. The sound of water flowing were relaxing and the sight itself was scenic. Hiroyuki gazed upon the whole lake and was admiring it's beauty. _I think I could just lay down here and enjoy all of this.. hmm but I need to get these plates cleaned up and then get some training to get stronger so I could help okaa-san more_, he thought. _Maybe next time_.

Hiroyuki was now heading back to the hut with the cleaned plates. He sees his mother was now fast asleep on her sides. He quietly puts the plate into a shelf under his mother's bed. Hiroyuki went for a light kiss on his mother's forehead and stopped a moment to see the beautiful smile she had. He then backed off slowly heading towards the door and observed if there were any movement from his mother. He was glad he didn't bother her sleep and went back outside to train near the waterfall.

Somewhere near the edge of the lake, there were stones lined up according to their sizes. Five stones in total. The smallest stone was as big as the catfish he caught earlier and the biggest stone was almost bigger than half of his upper body. He removed his robe and placed it onto a dry stone nearby.

Hiroyuki had somewhat an athlete body, his arms and hands were the most built. His training focuses more on his grip strength and arms. He lifts using his whole body for each stone from smallest to biggest bringing up the stones to his waist and holding it up there with only his hands and arms for a period amount of time. The stronger he gets, the longer and the bigger the stones he carries.

Next training was to test his punching strength. A stone just as tall as him, Hiroyuki was considered tall for his age just slightly taller than his mother. Hiroyuki entered a stance, raising his fists just below his chin. With his right foot slightly forward, He used his whole body to land a right hook into the stone. He froze for a moment and instantly regretted as a wave a shock went through his body. He fell onto his back and rolled on his sides on the ground repeatedly to keep his mind away from the pain.

Once the pain had lessen, Hiroyuki mumbled "Next time, I am punching trees only." Hiroyuki was laying on his back while facing the sky. His exhaustion made him lost focus and now was admiring the sight of the bright moon. The moon was at it's brightest tonight. He felt like he could fall asleep right there. Hiroyuki's eyes were blinking, he was soon fast asleep until a massive dark figure appeared covering the moon. Hiroyuki quickly got on his feet and backed away as fast as he could. He never felt this frightened before in his whole life and whimpered. "Whaa.. what? There is no way that's a human." His whole body was clearly shaking out of fear. Hiroyuki then heard some sort of mumbling and beads clattering coming from the unknown figure. He was too confused and misplaced that he didn't noticed his back was now against a tree.

The figure started to move, it took a step forward and slightly to it's left. This started to reveal what was behind the shadow. It appeared to be a towering man with an incredibly built body. The man had spiky black hair and a notable scar running across his forehead. He was wearing some sort of uniform in black and white with an olive green happi covering his shoulders. Around his neck was a large beaded necklace and his hands were both holding an Ojuzo while it seems as he was praying.

"Konnichiwa." The man said while waiting for a response from Hiroyuki. He then realised that the boy was now frozen as ice, not moving an inch. The man lowered himself by placing his right knee on the ground. The man now almost at the height level of Hiroyuki and waved in front of his face. "Moshi Moshi." His voice was friendly and had no intent of harm.

This snapped Hiroyuki back to reality. He saw white eyes with no visible pupils and questioned who was he and what was his purpose here? Hiroyuki now feeling more at ease and was glad he was in no danger.

The man answered. "I am Himejima Gyomei, I was patrolling the area until I saw you training" His attention now directed towards Hiroyuki's right arm. "Continue training without proper technique, you might lose that arm." Tears started to well up in his eyes and stream down like a waterfall. "Such strong will at a young age and yet so naive." He continued pitying the boy while placing his left hand on his shoulders as an effort to comfort him.

Hiroyuki always had pure intentions, he believed himself that he would help everyone in need especially his mother. He kept in mind that even the ones who are doing harm to others are not completely heartless, not all of them at least. With that in mind, he encourages himself to seek guidance from the man in front of him. Hiroyuki now bowing down on all fours towards the man.

Gyomei stood straight and resumed his prayer stance. "Ah very well, but before that. What's your name boy?"

"It's Yuuto Hiroyuki, Himejima-san." Hiroyuki was admiring Gyomei, astonished with his physique. He couldn't imagine how much stress and trials Gyomei had go through to get to his level right now. Gyomei was a sight to marvel at.

Gyomei nodded at his response then proceeded to lift Hiroyuki up and helped him stand up. "Listen carefully, Yuuto-kun. There is one technique able to enhance one's mental and physical strength however it will hurt until you get the hang of it. It's called Total Concentration." Hiroyuki was all ears and his eyes were locked on to Gyomei'. Gyomei explained the fundamentals of the technique and ways to fully master it. He then continued to demonstrate it to Hiroyuki.

Assuming a stance, Gyomei focused on inhaling his breathe followed by controlling his breathe rhythm. He punches the air with his right arm producing a lot of force causing the trees leaves to sway. It felt like a breeze just went by the area for momentarily.

Hiroyuki now pumped up to try this new technique, he approached the previous stone he was training with. Now facing the stone, he remembered and memorised every fundamentals of the technique in mind. Slowly he went into stance and followed every step Gyomei did.

Gyomei decided to interrupt him, worried that he would injure his whole arm if he continued to use the stone. Instead he found himself surprised after witnessing Hiroyuki striking into middle section of the stone once causing a loud tap. When Hiroyuki removed his arms, the pain wasn't as bad as the previous. In the middle part of the stone, a clear indentation of his fists can be seen as if it was carved deep then little cracks started to form from it.

Hiroyuki was jumping with joy celebrating since it was his first successful punch to damage the stone with his bare hands. Gyomei was impressed and convinced that Hiroyuki had potential to become his apprentice and even replacing himself one day. He had plans and high hopes for this boy and smiled.

"Yuuto-kun! If you keep on practising, one day you might be stronger than me. Come and be my apprentice, I will guide and nurture you until grow into a capable man."

"Please take care of me Himejima-sensei!" Hiroyuki said while bowing down towards Gyomei.

Gyomei eyes was tearing once more but this time with happiness. "Thank you for your hard work Yuuto-kun and forgive me for I have to return home as it's already nearing midnight . See you soon." He bowed slightly and began to walk away while Hiroyuki was waving goodbye at Gyomei.

It has been almost eight hours since Hiroyuki last seen Gyomei.

Hiroyuki was now back at the lake finishing up all the fish he caught. He was counting all the catches he managed to get, the fish varied in sizes. He counted six fishes in total. Feeling glad and satisfied he marched his way back to home. "I hope okaa-san is awake by now, can't wait to tell her about Himejima-sensei!"

As he enters the hut, he softly greeted his mother expecting her to be up. It was dead silence after that, no response from her. He was feeling worried and negative thoughts started to cloud his mind but he pushed them away. _Ah she must be super sleepy, you're such a sleepyhead okaa-san, _he thought while putting down the fish basket and then proceeded to check on his mother. He carefully peeked his head over his mother's shoulders without a single touch on her.

His mother was smiling with closed lips and her whole face had such a calm expression as if she was having a pleasant dream. A face so majestic and the priceless smile that could give hope to any broken hearts made Hiroyuki sigh with relief. Hiroyuki then decided to get some firewood and then start cooking up a meal while he waited his mother.

Somewhere by the lake, Gyomei was walking towards the spot he last met Hiroyuki. After Hiroyuki displayed his skills and strong spirit,it made Gyomei believe that Hiroyuki will fill a crucial role in the future. He decided to search the area for him and then heard a sound of wood splitting coming from the hut nearby._Must be Yuuto-kun, should be... since I see no other houses around, _he thought while approaching the hut to investigate.

When Gyomei saw the person who was chopping up the firewood, he right away knew it was Hiroyuki. He then wanted to greet him first until he noticed something strange about the hut. _Someone's inside, and has recently died, _he thought. Gyomei didn't want to make any assumptions and wanted to know who was in the hut. "Konnichiwa Yuuto-kun_." _he said to Hiroyuki while he was still chopping.

"Eh Himejima-sensei? Ohayo!" Hiroyuki was caught off guard since he wasn't use to visitors and it was very rare for it to happen.

Gyomei chuckled after seeing Hiroyuki getting startled. "Don't be alarmed, I am just here to check on you." Gyomei was patting Hiroyuki' head.

"So you live here Yuuto-kun?" Gyomei said while seeing the hut right beside them.

Hiroyuki nodded with excitement. "Yup! me and okaa-san. I wanted to tell her about you but it seems she's still sleeping but it's fine I can wait.. since it's even better when you're here in person too!" Joyfulness was radiating from Hiroyuki.

Horror filled Gyomei's thoughts after realising the person in the hut was Hiroyuki's mother. _Oh.. poor Yuuto-kun.. he doesn't even know, _he thought while holding the tears from welling up in his eyes.

"Umm Himejima-sensei, would you please check on okaa-san? she has this illness making her weak, we tried reaching for help but okaa-san said it was too dangerous." Hiroyuki said with a worrying tone.

Gyomei simply nodded. "Sure, please lead me to her".

Hiroyuki grabbed Gyomei's hands and guided him into hut and whispered. "Himejima-sensei please be gentle, I wouldn't want to bother her sleeping. Okaa-san looks so peaceful."

Gyomei took Hiroyuki's advice to mind and proceeded as what Hiroyuki would have wanted. Gyomei went onto his knees and carefully checked for pulses around her wrists and the side of her neck. It only confirmed what he sensed earlier, he felt no pulse. He remained dead silent for a few seconds, thinking of the words to tell Hiroyuki the truth.

"She's gone, Yuuto-kun." Gyomei Heavy-heartedly said with his head slightly bowed.

Gyomei wanted to apologise but was cut off by Hiroyuki who was trembling with shock. "But... Okaa-san was fine yesterday. She was so happy...and laughing. I... I mean look! She's even smiling right now!" Hiroyuki was now pulling Gyomei's sleeve begging it to not be true. "You might did it wrong, I know she's fine because okaa-san is strong she always had been!"

Gyomei remained speechless and only could apologise for his mother's passing. Gyomei couldn't hold his tears no longer, he felt Hiroyuki's pain. Hiroyuki was now clutching the sleeves and his face buried into Gyomei's arm. Tears start to fall from his eyes while he gritted his teeth. Hiroyuki felt intense pain in his chest, his vision went blurry as remembers his mother's sweet smile.

**Author's Note**

****Hey readers! Ani here, I really do hope you guys enjoy my writing. ****

**So what did you think of my OC and his mother? Comment your thoughts it would help me a lot!**

**I aim to update new chapters every 1 to 2 weeks at most! Thanks for reading !**


	2. Chapter Two - The Stone Pillar Temple

It has been a few hours since Hiroyuki's mother had passed away. The sun was setting and almost completely engulfed by a huge mountain looming over Hiroyuki and Gyomei.

The place was getting darker and made things harder to see. Luckily for Hiroyuki who was nervous being so far from home, Gyomei knew they were already nearing his place after he sensed a set of steps ahead of them.

Hiroyuki was holding Gyomei's hand tightly and anxiously said. "Uhh.. Himejima-sensei, are we there yet?"

Gyomei nodded and said. "Oh we are already here, it's up the steps just ahead of us." Gyomei held Hiroyuki's hand firmly while smiling at him.

Above the steps, a tall temple was standing in front of them. A waterfall connected to a river not so far from the temple. Sounds of water streaming and splashing onto rocks was relaxing to the mind. The temple's ground was spacious enough for people to visit and stay.

Hiroyuki was gaping with amazement. "wooaaah.. this is a really cool place Himejima-sensei!"

"Do you like it Yuuto-kun?" Gyomei said while being amused after seeing Hiroyuki's reaction.

"Yup! I really do.. but.." Hiroyuki responded excitedly but then started to doubt his feelings after remembering his mother.

Gyomei sensed Hiroyuki was feeling guilty. _He must have been feeling guilty after leaving his mother back at their place, _he thought. Gyomei kneeled down on one knee and grabbed Hiroyuki's shoulders softly.

"Hiroyuki-kun, I only could imagine what you're going through but I need you to know that I am always here for you. Always supporting you." Gyomei said while having a heartwarming smile on his face.

Hiroyuki feeling reassured, he leaped into Gyomei and hugged him. "Thank you sensei!"

Gyomei was surprised and did not expected it. Gyomei has not felt this for a quite a while causing a little tear to fall down his cheeks. He was glad and embraced Hiroyuki even more. Gyomei may be a giant, but he was the gentlest giant Hiroyuki has ever met. "Let's get in, wouldn't want you to catch a cold do we?"

Hiroyuki nodded and went into the temple with Gyomei.

Inside the temple, there were plenty of white cat statues scattered around with different sizes. Each statue was sitting on its back and had one paw raised to its head while the other paw was on the floor.

Hiroyuki was confused and assumed that Gyomei had some type of collection going on. "uhh... Himejima-sensei do you like cats or something?" Hiroyuki said while having a poker face.

Gyomei laughed softly and said. "Yup! cats are peaceful beings and plus these statues are lucky charms." Gyomei said and went into his normal stance while mumbling.

Maintaining the same expression, Hiroyuki was still looking around the interior admiring the number of statues that Gyomei had. He stopped himself when he saw an actual cat with it's fur white as snow sleeping on one of the statues.

"That's Shiro, he is the only I have. Found him at a village nearby. He likes to sleep a lot." Gyomei said while sitting down with his legs inside a_ kotatsu._ "let's warm ourselves here Yuuto-kun" He invited Hiroyuki to sit down beside him.

Hiroyuki was feeling cozy when he sat down, he could feel like sleeping there after their long walk from his place. But one thing seems to be bothering him, he couldn't help but wonder. _Hmm Himejima-sensei's eyes are fully white but it couldn't be.., _he thought while second guessing himself.

Hiroyuki bravely asked Gyomei. "Himejima-sensei, why are your eyes completely white?" Trying his best not to sound rude to Gyomei.

"I am actually blind" Gyomei replied with a blank stare.

Hiroyuki was in disbelief. He recalled his moments with Gyomei during their long walk. _I could have gotten hurt if he didn't warned me of the dangers infront of us._ Hiroyuki still couldn't imagine how can this huge towering man can be so muscular and blind at the same time.

"Something wrong Yuuto-kun?" Gyomei said after noticing he was being quiet for quite a while.

Hiroyuki was feeling guilty after realising he may had made Gyomei upset with his reaction. "No, nothing at all! It's just you don't feel like a blind person."

Gyomei gave a light tap onto Hiroyuki's head. "It's alright, it's not the first time people were surprise like you."

"So.. uhh.. how did you do it Himejima-sensei?" Hiroyuki said to Gyomei.

Gyomei raised his finger as an attempt to catch Hiroyuki's attention and continued to explain. "I had to listen to the sound and visualize the object in my mind. By focusing on the sound it helped me to know the exact position of it."

Hiroyuki was easily amazed by Gyomei's achievements, making him stare in awe as if he just saw a mythical creature. Hiroyuki now feeling more curious, he shook his head back and forth as an effort to return to the subject at hand.

"What do you actually do?" Hiroyuki eyes were sparkling waiting for his response he wouldn't imagine of.

"Well we have to go further back of how I started to the things I do right now." Gyomei staring at Hiroyuki who was all ears. Gyomei smiled half-heartedly and started to recall his past.

Listening to Gyomei telling his story when he cared for nine children in a temple only for it to end up in a massacre with only one child surviving. One child sold them out to a demon to save his own life.

Gyomei managed to kill the demon but was later accused because there was a misunderstanding between the villagers and the surviving child. Gyomei was later to be executed but was saved by Ubuyashiki Kagaya, the current leader of the Demon Corps.

"Not long after that, I joined the Demon Slayer Corps and became the Stone Pillar." Gyomei said.

Hiroyuki was feeling bad for Gyomei. _Himejima-sensei really went through a lot, it explains why he is alone in this place. But.. what makes me so special though.. it should be hard for him to trust people now. But he chose to trust and even open up to me instead. _

Hiroyuki stared at Gyomei while holding his sleeve. "No worries Himejima-sensei! I will follow your orders no matter what." Hiroyuki said with full dedication while beating his chest.

Gyomei's raised his eyebrows and went speechless when he heard Hiroyuki said those words. Gyomei simply nodded and smiled at Hiroyuki. "Thank you Yuuto-kun, I am glad to have met you"

Hiroyuki stood up tall and bowed with his arms on his sides to Gyomei. "Himejima-sensei! Please teach me what it means to become a demon slayer."

Gyomei was impressed at Hiroyuki. _Yuuto-kun.. even when losing your mother you still have the courage to keep fighting at a young age, _he thought_. _

_"_Sure.. but you will have to wait". Gyomei was pointing towards outside hinting it was already close to midnight. "We will start your training tomorrow, for now let's get some rest."

It was now a couple hours later after Hiroyuki last talked with Gyomei. The sun was rising causing the dark sky to turn into bright blue. Birds were chirping and the soothing sound of the waterfall playing outside of the temple.

Hiroyuki was starting to wake up with a drool stain on his cheek. He sat down straight and was feeling drowsy. He stretched and let out a long yawn. He then wiped his cheeks with his sleeves and started to fold his futon. He placed the futon into a closet and went outside to find Gyomei.

The temple was quiet, Hiroyuki only could hear the sound of the waterfall and leaves swaying against each other. He went to check out Gyomei's room but no one was there. _Himejima-sensei is probably somewhere by the waterfall, he is not in the temple, _he pondered while making his way towards the waterfall.

Gyomei was sitting cross legged on a round flat stone just under a tree nearby the waterfall. He was praying and mumbling until he noticed Hiroyuki was going down the stairs. "Ah, Ohayo Yuuto-kun."

Hiroyuki waved at Gyomei and smiled. "Ohayooo Himejima-sensei"

"Are you ready for training?". Gyomei stares at Hiroyuki from the stone.

"Yeah!" Hiroyuki said while waiting for Gyomei's instructions excitedly.

Gyomei nodded at Hiroyuki and said. "Now I want you to stand under the waterfall with your legs bent down and maintain it until I say so."

Hiroyuki was puzzled and pondered on what could he had achieve by staying under the waterfall. He confidently dipped his foot into the water without a second thought and immediately regretted his choice of words. He forced his way towards the waterfall ignoring he got chilled to the bone.

Hiroyuki could barely stand on his knees, the heavy pressure from the flow of water made it difficult. His legs were shaking trying his best not to fall and his body was trembling of being cold. Once he noticed his breathe was becoming rapid, he then realized what went wrong.

He controlled his breathe , taking in deep breathes and letting it out with a rhythm. He focused his best on breathing while ignoring the fact he was under constant pressure. Hiroyuki was now in a much relaxed state. He was now enjoying the sound of water flowing, it made him felt peaceful. He was now lost in the sound of nature around him, he didn't realise that time already flew by.

"Well done, now onto the next one" Gyomei said while moving towards the next training.

Hiroyuki was surprised that the first training was already done. It felt like only a few minutes but actually the sun was at it's highest while he was under the waterfall. He then followed Gyomei from behind to the next spot.

Hiroyuki was now carrying a log on his shoulders while Gyomei was sitting on the end of the stairs playing a flute. Hiroyuki was doing so well until he added a second log and lifted it. Bunch of veins on his neck and forehead popped up. He felt like his heart was going to burst when he decided to lift another log after the second.

He releases the logs causing them to fall and tumble behind him. Hiroyuki was panting and his heartbeat was going crazy. His vision was shaky and he could barely even stand up straight. He wanted to pushed onward and continue his training while ignoring the constant aching of his body.

Hiroyuki was now standing in front of a stone. The stone was massive, almost three times his size. _How am I suppose to push this through town and back here, _he thought. He tried his hardest but still failed to move the stone and was wondering what was he lacking.

The sun was almost setting, Hiroyuki was now sitting with his back against the stone while Gyomei was spectating quietly from a distance behind a tree. Hiroyuki was starting to feel sleepy. He looked at the orange sky and thought of his mother while his eyelids were getting heavy. _Okaa-san would give me an earful for training so hard,_ he imagined_. _

Hiroyuki's eyes were now completely shut. He was now reliving the last moments he had with his mother in his dreams. The space around him was all white and it seem endless in his eyes.

His body was floating and it felt light as a feather. As he floated, his body phased through shards of  
memories that he shared with his mother but it was all blurred and it went past him too quickly for him to understand what was happening.

He was unable to think clearly until Hiroyuki was stopped dead in his tracks when he saw a shard showing that same promise he made to his mother. From that moment, he realized what he needed to do. _Of course.. I just need to put my heart into it_, he thought while memorizing the promise but stopped when a splash of liquid got into his face causing him to close his eyes.

As soon as he opened his eyes, he noticed he was now back at the waterfall. He was laying down with his upper half soaked wet while Gyomei was standing beside him with an empty bucket in his hand. _Ah.. so it was just a dream, _he thought while getting back onto his feet slowly.

Gyomei stared at Hiroyuki and said, "Sorry, I was worried. I think we should stop for tonight..." He wanted to continue talking but stopped after seeing Hiroyuki going for another try. Gyomei was surprised with the amount of sheer will coming from Hiroyuki.

Hiroyuki's whole body was shaking but he forced his way through the exhaustion. Focusing his mind on the feelings he had when he remembered that memory. His emotions were running high and his body felt stronger. Both hands were pushing, veins were popping out of his arms and finally he managed to budge the stone. He kept on repeating the same action, by putting the emotions to heart and pushed the stone bit by bit.

The sky was filled with stars and the moon was shining bright. Hiroyuki was now on his knees while hugging the stone. His body felt like jelly and could barely keep his head up. _Finally.. I did it.., _he thought while feeling very accomplished. Hiroyuki was slowly succumbing to slumber, but he didn't care all he wanted was to rest.

Gyomei approached Hiroyuki and went down on one knee. He smiled at Hiroyuki while giving a pat to the back. "You did well Yuuto-kun, your mother would be proud of you."

Hiroyuki only managed to respond with a small nod, smiling while his eyes were almost closed. He wasn't sure of what did Gyomei said, but he could tell that Gyomei was happy. Hiroyuki was now asleep, his face against the stone. Hiroyuki looked like he hasn't sleep for days.

Gyomei sighed and then chuckled. He carefully lifted Hiroyuki into his arms. Gyomei carried him back to the temple and walked slowly as he could. Once they arrived at Hiroyuki's room, He slowly opened the door. Gyomei then helped with changing Hiroyuki's clothes and wiped all the sweat and dirt off his body. Gyomei prepared a futon and gently tucked Hiroyuki into bed.

Gyomei was now on his knees praying for Hiroyuki. He looked at the sleeping boy and smiled. _You did very well Hiroyuki-kun, _he thought. He got up onto his feet and went to the door. He took one last look of Hiroyuki and then shook his head while smirking. "I am really grateful to have met you, Yuuto-kun." Gyomei said softly. The door was closed carefully and Hiroyuki was still sleeping peacefully.

A month has passed since Hiroyuki's first day of training. Since then he had been training daily and taking enough rests in order to grow. Today was the day to find out if he could handle a sword.

The sun was almost setting, Hiroyuki was now training in the front yard of the temple. He was wielding a wooden sword and there was a wooden figurine two steps ahead of him. It's been hours since he started slashing the figurine. His movements were clumsy and rushed. He sat down and wanted to take a moment to think why couldn't he use the sword properly.

_Where's Himejima-sensei when you need him.. he's been missing since noon, _he thought while sighing.

Hiroyuki's pondering was interrupted when he heard a loud thud coming from behind. He turned his head slightly backwards and saw a wooden box. _Where did this come from? _He thought while looking around him. He spotted Gyomei sitting on the stairs of the temple. Hiroyuki waited for Gyomei to say something but he remained silent.

Hiroyuki felt confused and was scratching his head."Um.. Himejima-sensei, is this for me?"

Gyomei simply nodded and asks Hiroyuki to open it.

Hiroyuki stared at Gyomei while maintaining a poker face and slowly moving his view onto the box. He decided to lift the box onto his lap and opened it. He saw two blades with a handle and a strap on each. Hiroyuki inspected the weapon and tried them on. The hilt was in his hands and the strap just before his elbow while the blade was facing away from his body.

He rotates his arms to have a better look at the weapon. The blades were slightly curved and longer than his forearm. Hiroyuki was felling more optimistic when wearing them and knew he was capable of doing more with it. He stood once more and went back into stance confidently.

Hioyuki focused his eyes onto the neck of the figurine and went for a quick jab just nearly missing it. His movements were more controlled and his strike was sharp as well. The blade went through making a clean slice forcing the head to fall backwards just as what he intended.

Hiroyuki then bowed towards Gyomei showing his gratitude.

"Those weapons will serve you well Yuuto-kun" Gyomei said but deep down he wasn't so sure. _The weapon demands for it's user to get up close and personal, this would mean trouble for Yuuto-kun if he was confronted by one of the Twelve Demon Moons, _Gyomei thought and then shook his head to stop himself from imagining.

Gyomei stared at Hiroyuki. "Yuuto-kun, your fighting style is powerful but it forces you to get up close." Gyomei said with a strict voice. "You will need your own form and maybe even a new breath style to give you an advantage."

Hiroyuki eyes narrowed and Gyomei's words made him lost. "Uh.. What's a breath style?"

"Swordmanship styles that we Demon slayers use to fight equally with demons."

"But Himejima-sensei how do I even know what's right for me?"

Hiroyuii was now looking at the ground with a face full of worry. _Can I even do one form, let alone my own breath style? _

Gyomei approached Hiroyuki and went onto his knee. He gripped Hiroyuki's shoulder firmly. "Find a form that matches with your fighting style, and be aware of it's weaknesses. You may not be a swordsman but you still can be a Demon Slayer.

Hiroyuki sighed with a smile. "Thank you Himejima-sensei." He looked and smiled at Gyomei feeling grateful.

"That's enough for today, let's have a feast for how far you gotten now Yuuto-kun."

Hiroyuki smiled with his teeth showing and nodded with delight. They both stood up and headed back to the temple to celebrate Hiroyuki's progress.

Gyomei slowly approached the temple while Hiroyuki was already there waiting. In his mind, he never believed that he would be so close to a child not after what happened in his past. He thought of him as a his own little brother. A little tear fell but Hiroyuki didn't notice. He looked at Hiroyuki and felt thankful.

Five months had past since Hiroyuki first received his weapon. He had continuously been through tough and dire situations when training ever since and still prevailed. At the center of the temple, Hiroyuki and Gyomei were just finishing their lunch.

Gyomei was eating while staring Hiroyuki who was too busy enjoying his bowl of _ramen_. Gyomei shook his head and placed his chopsticks down onto the _kotatsu. "_Hiroyuki-kun." Gyomei waited for a response from him.

Hiroyuki lowered his bowl slowly and directing his attention to Gyomei. "Yes Hiroshima-sen.."

"Please Hiroyuki-kun, we talked about this."

"I am sorry Gyomei-sensei, I didn't want to be rude."

"It's fine." Gyomei nodded.

Hiroyuki smiled happily. "What was it you wanted to talk about Gyomei-sensei?"

"I believe you're ready to be a Demon Slayer."

Hiroyuki was surprised. "Really? What do I have to do now?!" He said but didn't realize his voice was loud because of his excitement. Both of palms were on the table while he waited for Gyomei's answer enthusiastically.

Gyomei had a quick laugh at his reaction. "Patience, your journey will start tomorrow. Head to the nearest village and meet an old man who owns a carriage. He will help you get to the _Final Selection"_

I understand, Thank you Gyomei-sensei." Hiroyuki wanted to continue eating his bowl of ramen but was interrupted by Gyomei.

"One more thing, Hiroyuki-kun." Gyomei said while raising his index finger. "Come back home safely."

Hiroyuki bobbed his head and grinned cheerfully. "I will Gyomei-sensei"

**Author's note**

**Hey, Ani here.**

**So I wanted to build Hiroyuki and Gyomei's relationship into a more deeper connection in this one. So give me your thoughts about it!**

**Once again thank you for reading :)**


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